“(Stockbrokers) Hollard (sic) and screamed, they clawed at one another’s collars. It was like a bunch of crazy men.” “The great buildings were ablaze with lights all night as sleepy clerks fought desperately to get accounts in shape for Monday opening” (“The Wall Street Crash”). This is how journalist Jonathan Leonard described the day the stock market crashed on October 28 1929 - the day that triggered the great depression. The Great Depression of 1930’s had great impact on the economy, the environment, and politics.
Background
The 1920’s were called the Roaring 20’s; life was good, the auto industry was increasing, and people put large sums of money into the stock market. They would buy on margin and there was even speculation buying going on.
On October 29, 1929, or Black Tuesday, the stock market crashed. People lost huge sums of money and 15 million Americans lost jobs (Hamen 7) . Men were hit psychologically harder than women because of the humiliation of having to ask for help, people developed depression and tried to escape their lives by riding the rails. The auto industry crashed, hunger …show more content…
They would ridicule President Hoover by using his name mockingly in other ways during the Great Depression. For example, when a man’s empty pockets were turned inside out demonstrating that he didn 't have any money in his pockets , they would call it a “Hoover Flag”. Shanty towns during the Great Depression were named “Hooverville”. Newspapers that were used to block the homeless from the cold were called “Hoover blankets”. When soles wore out of people’s shoes, the cardboard that was used to take the place of soles would be called “Hoover leather”. Cars that were being pulled by horses ,because gas was a luxury that people couldn 't afford luxury, at the time would be called “Hoover wagons.” (History.com